Note 4 and Edge design choices as much about feel as look, says Samsung

Explaining some of the design choices behind the recently-released Galaxy Note 4 and Note Edge, which Samsung dubs ‘Modern Sleek,’ the company said in a blog post that feel was as important as look.

Modern Sleek is not just about being modern, but also being warm and emotional. One thing the designers did not want to do was to use metal and give out the sense that the device is too hard and cold. That’s why the soft cover has a leather pattern – of the finest leather from Togo, which is considered to have one of the best feeling.

Feel was also key to the new S Pen, said the piece, involving changes to both hardware and software.

If you try out the S Pen of the Galaxy Note 4, you will definitely notice the difference. It will feel much smoother and more natural, just like handwriting. [...] The designers tried using numbers of materials for the tip of the S Pen for the right feeling [and] it even recognizes how much the pen is tilted so that users can control the thickness of the writing.

Details like the curvature radius of the Edge were trickier than expected.

Finding the right curvature rate for the Edge Screen was one of the most challenging parts, [needing] to look clear from every angle [and] give the right sense of grip.